Free Pizza: A Moral Quandary.

It was June 23, 2023 and we were outside Buddy’s Pizza after what felt like an eternity. It had been at least 12 hours since we left our homes to start on this quest. We had finally reached Buddy's Pizza, and our excitement was intense. The promotion stated that the first 77 people in line would receive free pizza for a year, and we were among the first in line.

Four of us stood together, patiently waiting. Convincing their parents had been a challenge. (I believe a couple of them are still unaware). We waited a while, but they didn't open until 11 a.m., and it was only 8. During the next hour, more people arrived, and the line grew longer. An hour later, some began to give up, and a strange woman started walking up and down the line, continuously counting people to see if she was among the first 77. She complained about people holding spots for others while they went to the bathroom or got coffee. We were confused because she had someone holding her spot while she counted people. That wasn’t the only thing she said. After her initial count, she decided to count again, this time to convince people to leave. She came up with many reasons, but one stuck with us more than the others: “They say only adults are getting free pizza for a year; they're going to ID you guys.” We did not comment but spoke among ourselves. The online article said nothing about age. Were they not going to allow us after such a long wait? We didn’t know for sure. A deep, throbbing pain settled in our stomachs, and there we were, waiting.

After a few more minutes passed, we continued to stand and discuss, having conversations about anything that came to mind. There wasn’t much to do but wait. About 10 minutes before the place opened, I saw the manager come out to speak with the media and prepare to open the doors. We waited. Doubts still lingered, but after speaking to a very kind lady from FOX17, we felt more hopeful. She talked to the manager, and apparently, what the previous lady said was based on the statement that they were giving different coupons to children than to adults. They didn’t care if you were over 18; they only cared if families were trying to claim multiple free pizzas for a year.

When they finally opened the doors, we started chanting “Pizza, Pizza, Pizza.” As we entered the restaurant, we claimed our free pizza for a year and were filled with enthusiasm. We even took a picture with the manager and jumped up and down with the enthusiastic news guy from WZZM. Even though we hadn’t believed our day could get any better, we spotted the lady from before, the one who had tried to get people to leave for her benefit, the one who filled our hearts with dread every time we saw her. She didn’t have a coupon. We kindly asked her if she had received one, and she replied, “I was number 78.” We briefly ended the conversation and reflected on what we had witnessed. In our story, she got what she deserved